Researchers at the University of East Anglia and elsewhere have made a significant breakthrough in understanding how to potentially treat obesity and related diseases such as diabetes.
The team has, for the first time, unveiled the molecular structure of a protein known as “Uncoupling protein 1” (UCP1).
This protein is crucial for the function of brown fat tissue, also known as “good fat,” which burns off calories as heat, unlike white fat which stores energy.
The study, published in Science Advances, provides new insights that could help create treatments activating UCP1 to burn excess calories from fat and sugar, possibly offering a novel approach to combat obesity and diabetes.
The Role of UCP1 and Brown Fat
Dr. Paul Crichton, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, explained that while most of the fat we have is white fat, which stores energy, humans can also develop brown fat.
Brown fat breaks down blood sugar and fat molecules to produce heat and maintain body temperature. “UCP1 is the key protein that allows specialized brown fat to burn off calories as heat,” he said.
Animals, particularly newborns that cannot yet maintain body temperature through shivering, activate UCP1 in brown fat tissue to protect against cold. In humans, the presence of brown fat correlates with leanness.
“There has been a lot of interest in how to increase brown fat and activate UCP1 therapeutically, as a potential way to treat obesity,” said Crichton.
New Insights on UCP1’s Structure and Function
Lead researcher Prof Edmund Kunji, from the University of Cambridge, shared that their study reveals the atomic structure of UCP1 and how its activity in brown fat cells is inhibited by a regulatory molecule.
This insight was made possible using a cryogenic electron microscope at the Penn Singh Center for Nanotechnology.
“Our work shows how a regulator binds to prevent UCP1 activity, but more importantly, the structure will allow scientists to rationalize how activating molecules bind to switch the protein on, leading to the burning of fat,” said Prof Kunji.
He added that activated tissue could also remove glucose from the blood, which could help control diabetes.
According to the researchers, this discovery marks a significant breakthrough in the field and could pave the way for the development of new treatments for obesity and diabetes.
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The study was published in Science Advances.
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